Rides and advice for 2 year old???

[pnelson]

Well, it looks like we will be taking a 2 year old with us in December when we go. Can we go on POC and Haunted Mansion? Also, what about theater type shows and standing in line??? Any other advice??

 

[beattyfamily]

Certain rides/shows that are loud or dark will depend on your child. My DD who is 3 was horrified by loud, dark rides both at age 1 and 2.

She didn't like Peter Pan, Snow White or any other dark rides and she was terrified at the Ariel show because of the noise and darkness.

My older DD (6 1/2) was so afraid of darkness and ghosts that she just went on Haunted Masion for the first time this past October.

So you should be able to tell if you have that kind of child.

Rest assured, though, that your 2 year old can go on many rides even if they are afraid of the dark.

I never had any problems with the lines myself. You can bring a small toy. Their sippy cup. The parents can take turns in line while to take the child for a potty run or walk...

Have fun!

 

[mommystieg]

Loud things seemed to bother our 2 y\o dd more than dark things. There really are very few things at MK that have height/age restrictions. Our dd enjoyed PotC and HM but she hated UoE at Epcot--too LOUD!!! She loved Buzz Lightyear and IASW. She was ok standing in line for anything under 45 minutes-if the lines were longer we used FP. She enjoyed all the shows except the 3-D attractions and she slept through Fantasmic! If you don't have any of the Disney sing-a-long videos I would suggest getting a couple. These along with the vacation planning video give kids an idea of what to expect. The sing-a-longs show the characters interacting with kids and they are filmed at WDW and DL so some of the rides are on there. The ones I recommend are:
Disneyland Fun
Beach Party at Walt Disney World
Campout at Walt Disney World
Flik's Musical Adventure at Animal Kingdom

 

[laceemouse]

I'm sure you've heard this, "every child is different!" Out of my 4 kids, only one has ever really been scared of anything dark or loud at Disney. I agree with the previos poster, those videos are great!! All of mine love the 3D shows, but when they were toddlers they sometimes did not want to keep the glasses on! Start slow and play it by ear, there will be lots you can do. You can always go back again and again like most of us do! As our kids get older we enjoy different and new things on each trip. Have fun!!!

 

[BevS97]

mine was very nervous of dark rides to start with - now she is quite happy on Pirates, but will not even consider the Haunted Mansion - i can't imagine her ever going on it, she is that concerned about it. She also hates the Snow White ride not that she has ever ridden it, but she's seen it on the video and she knows the witch is in there.

I would suggest starting with It's a Small World - it's not particularly dark - Nothing remotely scary happens, but it gives them a good idea of how the rides work and what is likely to happen - nothing like a good positive experience to start off the day. Pooh is pretty good too, although the Heffalump scene worried my dd a little bit, but she was basically ok with it.

Also, we bought a light-up Pooh Bear wand in the park, and we carried this with us, pooh didn't work well outside as it was too bright, so it became a bit of a treat to go inside someplace dark enough for Pooh to work -

Bev

 

[Jomrog]

It does definitely depend on the child. We took our DD for the first time just after she turned 3 & it's funny but she loved HM & still does to this day (now she is almost 8). She refuses to ride Snow White, loves Peter Pan & doesn't like Buzz or Pirates.

She will go to the Muppet Vision 3D show but will not leave her glasses on & clings to me.

She has never ever been afraid of the characters & actually LOVES to interact w/them.

I'm sure that your child will give you distinct clues when afraid.

Good luck & have fun!

 

[Jordan's MOM]

I really think that the dark will be the factor with a two year old and fear concerns. I'm not sure that he will understand the story line of the rides enough to be fearful of ghost or pirates. I agree a light up toy or a small pen light is a great idea. As long as you don't play up the scary part, (we now love to do this with my 10 year old who can handle it) he will most likely be ok. There are funny things on most all rides and pointing these out instead of scary stuff will help.


Jordans' mom

 

[mryder]

My son was a few months under 3 of our last trip. He did ok on the dark rides. I told him when he gets scared to put his head down on mommy or daddy and they he did not have to look. I would keep reminding him that it is not real.

He did all of the dark rides that he could ride. He seemed ok on Haunted Mansion, was laughing at the end of the ride. Liked pirates.

We started with Buzz ride first (his favorite character) so that set the whole trip to a good start. I would suggest It's a Small World too if you are unsure how the little one will be.

 

[Chim Chiminy]

I would definately recommend bringing earplugs with you. We use the soft moldable kind, found them in the pharmacy area of Wal-Mart. Many attractions and shows are loud and can startle and scare the younger kids.
Start with something tame like It's a Small World and work your way up from there. Also letting your child hold a small penlight or other light source is a good idea.
We didn't take our two year old on Haunted Mansion or Pirates, and she was too scared to go into the Tiki Room, but it depends on your child too.

 

[mryder]

Hi Chim Chiminy, you noticed you are in Hazelton. I am right down from you in the Wilkes-Barre area.

Yes the samll pen light is a great idea, I forgot to mention it.